In this section, we will cover the anatomical structure of the spinal cord and vertebral column, spinal nerve organisation, blood supply, motor and sensory pathways, clinical examination principles, myotomes and dermatomes, localisation of spinal cord lesions, and common spinal cord syndromes.

The spinal column encases and protects the spinal cord, which serves as a conduit for motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the brain and the body.

Clinical examination of spinal cord function involves assessing motor, sensory, and autonomic pathways.

Discrepancy exists between spinal segments and vertebral levels:

Afferent (or sensory) input to the nervous system arrives in the spinal cord via the dorsal root.

Efferents (or motor output) exit via the ventral root.

Descending tracts:

Ascending tracts:

Blood supply

A myotome refers to all the muscles or groups of muscles innervated by the motor horn cells within a segment of the cord.

Localising spinal cord lesions

During and after your examination you should seek answers to the following questions.

Small central lesion:

Large central cord lesion:

Brown-Squard syndrome (hemisection):

Complete transection:

Combined degeneration of the cord:

Tabes dorsalis:

Anterior spinal artery syndrome:

Posterior spinal artery syndrome:

Further reading

Publications

Robert Coni, DO, EdS, FAAN.Vascular neurologist and neurohospitalist and Neurology Subspecialty Coordinator at the Grand Strand Medical Center in South Carolina. Former neuroscience curriculum coordinator at St. Lukes / Temple Medical School and fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. Inmy spare time, I like to play guitar and go fly fishing. | Medmastery | Linkedin |

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Neuro 101: Spinal Cord LITFL Neurology library